Open March 1-31

Upcoming Funding Dates

This stream will next open for applications in March 2025. Please check back here for more information, and review previous funding guides (at the bottom of the page!). 

Description

The Youth Empowerment Stream will provide small grants from $2,500 – $5000 to youth-led projects happening in urban, rural, and remote communities across Canada. The focus of this stream is to fund new and emerging micro-projects that focus on increasing the resilience, engagement, and wellness of youth. Projects must be led by 2+ Indigenous youth (ages 15-29). Youth leaders (grantees) will receive innovative mentorship, training, and capacity-building opportunities throughout the project.  

The Youth Empowerment Stream can be used as a stepping stone to implement a new idea or start your work with a project idea. 

There is a priority in this stream to support: 

  • New and emerging Indigenous grassroots groups and collectives 
  • Projects that are testing and/or trying a new idea 
  • New groups who have never run a project before
  • Groups who have never received funding from Creation before 

Focus Areas

We’re looking to fund projects that focus on one or more of the following areas:

Projects will focus on assessing community and youth needs, doing feasibility projects and engaging the community in consultation.

Projects that increase access to arts, art-based workshops, cultural knowledge, traditions and ceremony

Projects will support youth groups in accessing capacity-building, knowledge mobilization and funding resources. Projects will focus on innovating healthcare systems, developing solutions to infrastructure and resource challenges (such as access to clean water and sustainable food sources) and increasing access to technology. 

Projects will engage multiple age groups and should help to enhance the sense of community (i.e. projects where youth participate in programs with Elders, families, adults, etc).

Projects will focus on organizational development in Indigenous agencies. The intention of this focus area is to increase leadership, governance, capacity and opportunity for Indigenous organizations to impact communities and systems. Projects can include organizational enhancements (i.e. training, website development, strategic plan development, consulting projects, purchase of supplies, etc).

Projects will focus on enhancing community wellness and can include one-off events or long-term programs and any type of programming related to wellness (i.e. workshops, teachings, gatherings). 

Eligibility

Creation will prioritize funding grassroots youth groups consisting of a minimum of 2 Indigenous youth. Please note: for the purpose of this program, IYR defines Indigenous as status and non-status First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada, living both on and off-reserve. 

Eligible groups and projects include: 

  • Unincorporated/grassroots youth groups/collectives/councils comprised primarily of Indigenous youth 
  • Emerging, incorporated youth groups (note: IYR defines “emerging” as groups that have an operating budget of less than $50,000) 
  • Projects must serve primarily serve Indigenous youth
     

Ineligible groups and projects: 

  • Individuals and/or projects that are not led by 2+ Indigenous youth 
  • Projects that are not youth-led (or where the majority of the leadership is 30+) 
  • Non-Indigenous groups and organizations 
  • Groups that have received more than $10,000 in funding from IYR over the past 12 months 
  • Projects taking place outside of Canada 
  • For-profit corporations

Examples of Funded Projects

Learn about some projects that have been funded in this stream:

Lake Superior High School Anishinaabemowin Boodawe Committee will host a student-lead powwow for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As part of their school’s Indigenous leadership project, Indigenous students identified hosting a powwow at their school to promote their language and culture as their next step for increasing community engagement. 

Métis Harvesting Collective will run a fish harvesting camp for Red River Métis youth. This is an opportunity for Métis youth to gather, spend time on their homelands and waters, learn traditional skills from Elders, eat traditional foods, and give back to their community. The harvest, if successful, will be processed and distributed to Elders, family and community members in need. 

The Seventh Fire Singers will be a women’s weekly drum circle which will focus on healing through learning songs and teachings from various knowledge keepers. Activities include opening prayers, talking circles, designing and painting the drums, making medicine pouches, practicing songs and a celebration where a final performance will be held. This program will offer a space to revitalize women’s teachings that have been lost.  

The Selkirk Spirit Dances will travel around the Yukon, performing northern Tutchone songs and dances. While preparing to travel and perform, youth will learn how to put together dances and choreograph dances, learn new songs and dances, as well as learn how to make and repair their regalia. 

Stream Specific FAQ

See the general FAQ here

You need at least two Indigenous youth who are leading your project. If you have more youth leading and/or also have adults supporting, that’s fine too!  

Reach looks different for different projects. Some projects are focused on reaching big numbers of youth (like 500+ over one single event). Other projects are focused on reaching a small number of youth but with a deeper engagement (like 15 youth but weekly over several months). We’ve funded both types of projects! 

Yes! You are more than welcome to apply, even if you have never led a project before. The focus of this grant is to support newer groups.  

The first step is you will want to sit down and make a list of all possible expenses you might have for your project. Make sure you consider things like: workshop supplies and materials, honorariums, food/snacks, space rental if needed, transportation, gifts, printing, etc. Sometimes it’s helpful to think through each step and day of the project, and what supplies you will need that day.  

You’ll have to fill out our budget template (which you can find here) as a part of your application. There is an example budget in the template that you can follow. If you are having any troubles, please reach out to us and we are happy to help!  

Absolutely! We are happy to hop on a call or zoom meeting and talk through your idea. We also can give some helpful tips and pointers! Reach out to Gwen to schedule a call.  

When we ask for an “operating budget”, we are asking about how much money your group has access to over the course of a year. This amount should include all administrative costs, staff salaries, program costs (materials, renting out a space, snacks, etc.), honorariums, etc. This budget spans the entire year, and encompasses your group’s entire budget, not just the budget for the project you’re applying for!  

It is okay to provide an estimate for this number if you don’t know the exact amount. It is also more than okay to apply for a Creation grant if you’re a new group or if your group currently has an operating budget of $0.00!! 

Stream Impact & Reports

IYR has run 13 rounds of the Youth Empowerment Funding Stream. In total $491,650 in funding has been given to 105 projects. Funded projects have reached 9,170 Indigenous youth. What excites us about this stream is that we get to support projects that are just taking off – we love supporting youth who are trying new things, and to see the ways those ideas grow. 

2022 Stream Overview

2021 Stream Overview

2020 Stream Overview

Past Youth Empowerment Funding Guides

2025

March View English Guide | View French Guide

2024

October View English Guide | View French Guide

2023

March/June/August/November View English Guide | View French Guide

2022

June/August Blossom View English Guide | View French Guide

2021

June/August/November Sprout View English Guide | View French Guide

June/November/January Sprout View English Guide | View French Guide

June/November/January Blossom View English Guide | View French Guide

2020

November View English Guide | View French Guide

Grant Contact Name and Pronouns

Forrest Eaglespeaker

(he/him)

Program & Community Engagement Coordinator